The first seven places, Yorker, Hill Fifty Four, Louis The King, Legislate, Capetown Noir, Athina and Beach Beauty, have been filled by horses whose recent Gr1 wins make them virtual automatic qualifiers.

Tellina was a controversial omission last year, but looks secure this year in eighth place thanks to his consistent big race performances, as he has finished in the top three in three Highveld Gr 1s this season and also won a Gr 3 event. He has earned his merit rating of 110.

Pomodoro, a former SA Derby and VDJ winner, finished third in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge, signalling that he retains his ability after returning from a life threatening illness, and he is in ninth spot.

Last year’s SA Derby winner Wylie Hall was just behind Pomodoro in the Champions Challenge, but gave him 2,5kg in that race, so deserves his tenth position.

Punta Arenas ran a fantastic third in the J&B Met and Jet Explorer was as impressive when an unlucky third in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. They are the next two.

As You Like finished in the top three in all three legs of the Triple Crown, so deserves his spot.

Whiteline Fever was fourth in the Met, won the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes an is the proverbial hard knocker. The final position in the top 16 was taken by Gr 1 Cape Guineas winner In The Fast Lane.

Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes winner Halve The Deficit, who is seventeenth on the log, is coming into his own and perhaps gives Sean Tarry and Chris van Niekerk their best chance of landing the July for the third year in succession.

Espumanti proved she can stay further than a mile last time out when just touched off by Cherry On The Top in the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg over 2000m at Turffontein.

Royal Zulu Warrior put in the best performance of all at the weights in the Sansui Summer Cup, so also deserves to be in the top 20. July and Queen’s Plate fourth-placed No Worries takes the final position in the top 20 and if he can be held up with the blinkers on in the Betting World 1900, tactics that suit him best, he could enhance his chances of making the final field.

The next ten as well as the current July joint third favourite Futura will have to feature prominently in the traditional qualifying races to make it into the race. The latter faces a problem being merit rated only 85 as he might not even make the cut for races like the Betting World 1900, although the latter will have a consolation race worth R150,000 attached to it if there are too many entries, which will at least give him a run.

Furthermore, the merit ratings are not the only factor that are taken into account when the powers that be choose the final fields for the big qualifying races and an exciting horse like him might get in before a higher rated one.[/expand]